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CNN is reporting that Gerald LeVert, part of the quiet storm power trio LeVert, is dead at age 40. LeVert was one of superstar writer/producer David Foster’s favorite go-to acts, and the trio scored four top 40 sons on Billboard’s Hot 100 charts.
The overweight singer was the son of O’Jay’s member Eddie LeVert and reportedly died of a heart attack.
With some strange moments (Faith Hill captured on camera reacting poorly, Keith Urban winning while in rehab), yesterday’s Country Music Awards finally finished with Kenny chesney winning Entertainer of the Year honors.
Hill was seen on camera reacting poorly — and some say in horror — when American Idol winner Carrie Underwood won the Female vocalist award. Meanwhile, Keith Urban sent word from reab in a note that was read to the audience.
But it was Chesney, country’s most salable crossover artist since Garth Brooks, who won the night’s big prize. Rascal Flatts won more awards, but Chesney solidified his hold on country and popular music.
Spinning In The CD Today
Rock the vote — unplug and check out the returns.
After a disastrous 2005 during which Australian singer Kylie Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer (as was Sheryl Crow), the 38 year old singer returned home today, looking fit and happy according to the Australian papers.
Minogue is one of Australia (and the rest of the world’s) most popular singers, and has been performing since the age of 11. Winner of the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording (Come Into My World) and two Billboard Hot 100 singles, Minogue’s success is much like Cliff Richards’ a generation earlier. Popular everywhere but in the US, American fans end up missing on some great pop music.
She seems to have beaten breast cancer. Now the sexy ‘stralian singer can prep for her homecoming show next week. And if fans in Seattle or San Francisco don’t know her, they adore her in Sydney, which is where the first show opens.
Spinning In The CD Today
Listening to all of Demsond Child’s back catalog. He made some great music too, although people may know him more for the songs he has written — Aerosmith’s Angel and Dude (Looks Like A Lady) , Bon Jovi’s Bad Medicine and this little thing called Livin’ La Vida Loca — and produced. He helmed Meat Loaf’s third installment of Bat Out of Hell after the singer and Bat producer/writer Jim Steinman fell out, to generally positive praise, but I don’t hear why. I do in his earlier work, even his solo work, but the best cuts on Bat 3 (reviewed on Music Help Web soon) are the 10 and 25 year old songs Meat lifted from Jim Steinman’s catalog.